Jan 24 2006
1 Samuel 2:31-36
הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים וְגָדַעְתִּי אֶת־זְרֹעֲךָ וְאֶת־זְרֹעַ בֵּית אָבִיךָ מִהְיוֹת זָקֵן בְּבֵיתֶךָ׃ 32 וְהִבַּטְתָּ צַר מָעוֹן בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יֵיטִיב אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה זָקֵן בְּבֵיתְךָ כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃ 33 וְאִישׁ לֹא־אַכְרִית לְךָ מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי לְכַלּוֹת אֶת־עֵינֶיךָ וְלַאֲדִיב אֶת־נַפְשֶׁךָ וְכָל־מַרְבִּית בֵּיתְךָ יָמוּתוּ אֲנָשִׁים׃ 34 וְזֶה־לְּךָ הָאוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶל־שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ אֶל־חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס בְּיוֹם אֶחָד יָמוּתוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם׃ 35 וַהֲקִימֹתִי לִי כֹּהֵן נֶאֱמָן כַּאֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבִי וּבְנַפְשִׁי יַעֲשֶׂה וּבָנִיתִי לוֹ בַּיִת נֶאֱמָן וְהתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵי־מְשִׁיחִי כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃ 36 וְהָיָה כָּל־הַנּוֹתָר בְּבֵיתְךָ יָבוֹא לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לוֹ לַאֲגוֹרַת כֶּסֶף וְכִכַּר־לָחֶם וְאָמַר סְפָחֵנִי נָא אֶל־אַחַת הַכְּהֻנּוֹת לֶאֱכֹל פַּת־לָחֶם׃ ס
Vocabulary
Verse 31
גדע verb: “hew, cut off” (BDB, 154)
זקן “old”
Syntax & Miscellaneous
- The waw, וְגָדַעְתִּי, is used as a temporal marker, “when.”
- The adjective, זקן, is used substantively for an old person.
Vocabulary
Verse 32
נבט verb (Hiphil): “look, regard”
צר “distress” (BDB, 865)
מעון “dwelling (BDB, 732)
Verse 33
מעם preposition: “from, from beside”
אדב verb (Hiphil): “cause to grieve” (BDB, 9)
מרבית “increase” (BDB, 916)
Verse 34
חפני name: “Hophni”
פינחס name: “Phinehas”
Verse 35
נאמן “faithfulness”
משׁיח “anointed” (BDB, 603)
Verse 36
יתר verb (Niphal participle): “remain, be left”
השׁתחות verb (Hishtaphel infinitive construct): “bow down, worship”
אגורה “payment” (BDB,
ספח verb (imperative): “attach to” (BDB, 705)
כהנה “priesthood” (BDB, 464)
פת “bit, morsel” (BDB, 837)
Syntax & Misc.
Verse 32
- The phrase, כָּל־הַיָּמִים, is adverbial.
Verse 33
- The direct object of the first clause, אִישׁ, is fronted.
- The lamed with pronominal suffix indicates to whom the action refers (cf. Joüon 130g). Other examples of this phenomenon: Gen 17:12 וּבֶן־שְׁמֹנַת יָמִים יִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל־זָכָר “the eight day old son shall be circumcised to you every male” or “all your males who are eight days old shall be circumcised”; Deut. 23:3גַּם דּוֹר עֲשִירִי לֹא־טָבֹא לֹו בִּקְהַל יהוה “even his tenth generation shall not enter”.
- The phrase, לְכַלּוֹת אֶת־עֵינֶיךָ, is found elsewhere in the MT only in Leviticus 26:16, where it is understood as “exhausting the eyes” or “failing of the eyes.” Other possibilities may include that it comes from that it comes from the root כִּלָּיוֹן “failing” (BDB, 479; cf. Deut 28:65) or that it is a non-extant root from which חכלילי (cf. Gen 49:12) is derived.
- The initial he of the Hiphil stem, וְלַאֲדִיב, has apocopated, though normally it is extant with the infinitive construct with a inseparable prefix (Joüon 54b).
- The accusative is used to show the manner of the verbal action. Thus, “they will die in the prime of life” (cf. GKC 118q). Another explanation is an adverbial understanding of the noun modifying the intransitive verb מות, i.e. “they will die as men.”
Verse 34
- The preposition, אֶל, can be rendered “concerning.”
Verse 36
- The participle, הַנּוֹתָר, is a substantive.